One of the staple dishes at our house, while growing up, was the wonderful yet simple dish of aloo gobi - gently sautéed cauliflower and potatoes tossed in a aromatic melange of spices. It's certainly has got to be one of the most popular Punjabi vegetarian dishes, which rose to international fame in Gurindar Chaddha’s cult film Bend It Like Beckham. The film does not need any introduction as I am sure almost everyone has seen it.

A few months back my boss, Prof. TS, watched the film and became a fan. The following day he asked me if the Punjabi family - the Bhamras - embodied my family back at home! I had to laugh because it does not get more clichéd than that!

However, there is a certain truth in each cliché and I do remember my grandmother's (nani) credence was very similar to the unreasonable demands Jessminder's family put on her in the film.

Good Punjabi girls are not supposed to run around in skimpy shorts running after a ball, instead she should be charming, shy, dressed decently and know how to cook good down-to-earth Punjabi food. After all she has to fulfill her one purpose in life - marry well and cook a good aloo gobi for her husband. At the age of 15-18 I defied all of these clichéd notions with intrepidity. Luckily for me, my grandfather was mostly on my side!

Nani and I would often banter affectionately:
"Meeta stop running around half naked! Swimming, water-skiing - this not something for young ladies- beti" (Beti = daughter)
"But Nani I am on the swim team - I can hardly wear a salwar kameezin the pool!"
"Swim team, swim team! Forget the swim team. Has your mother taught you how to make dal or aloo gobi yet?"
"No nani - I am 16 I do not need to learn how to make all that Indian stuff!"
"All that Indian stuff? Ahaha, look here - angrez di puther - you are not only Indian but you are a Punjabi and you will learn how to make aloo gobi!" (angrez di puther = daughter of an English man)
"Not now Nani - I have to go to swim practice!"

From behind us I hear my Nana sigh.
"Gurcharan - leave the girl alone. If she does not go to swim practice how can she save the life of her drowning husband? She can hardly throw a life saving aloo gobi at him!"

That was my cue to freedom. With a quick hug and a wet kiss on his white bearded cheek I winked at my nana and left for swim practice.

Things change. Sadly, both my nana and nani are no longer here with us. I did learn how to make an aloo gobi. I can save my husband should he ever be drowning and feed him that damn good Punjabi aloo gobi too!

In a large skillet heat the ghee or canola oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and gently stir-fry until they begin to turn golden, approx. 1 minute.

Lower the heat, add the potatoes, garam masala, turmeric and a pinch of salt. Carry on stir-frying until the spices cook and begin to smell fragrant – approx. 2-3 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and toss to incorporated with the spices, then pour in the diced tomatoes. Stir once or twice, cover and allow to simmer over a medium heat for approx. 30-35 minutes. Stir occasionally. The vegetables should be tender but still firm.

Add the peas about 10 minutes before the cooking time is completed and gently stir

Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with hot rotis or naans.

Kitchen Tips:

Once you have cut your potatoes into cubes, place them in a bowl of cold water. This will prevent the potatoes from turning brown. When you are ready to use, drain the water and pat dry with a few paper towels.

Need for speed: use a bag of frozen cauliflower florets instead. Do not thaw them just add them to the skillet and proceed as directed.

Verdict

I miss both the pillars in my life. My nana and nani were two opposites but both enriched my life in ways only grandparents can. I think my nani would have relished this aloo gobi. It is adapted from my mother's recipe who taught me how to make the dish after my nani passed away. It is typically made the Punjabi way - dry and with not much gravy. The cauliflower is tender and the potatoes hold their shape in the dish. The medley of spices bring an extraordinary highlight and the turmeric gives the dish a sunny yellow color.

Looks delicious! I made few times spicy cauliflower with curry and potatoes and peas... I wonder if that is what I was trying to make, because looks very similar. I must find my Vegetarian Indian cookbook to look at the original name of the dish.Enjoy your day Meeta... spring came also to us here in London, birds singing, flowers start coming out from the ground, but still very cold, about 5 degrees only.

Thank you for that recipe, it looks delicious! I would like to make this myself, but before I do I have a question. Can the koriander leaves in this dish be ommited or replaced?

I am one of those people who dislike it. The first time I had koriander leaves in a chinese stir-fry, I didn't even know koriander existed, let alone that I was eating it at that moment. But I honestly thought they had accidently dropped bits of soap in that dish!Since then I have tried it many times in hopes of aquiring a taste for it, but it doesn't seem to happen for me. It still find the taste soapy.

wow...this looks something..i'd love to try..thanks for the recipe..uphere in U.S. i always have a hard time to find ingredients..thanks to my friend who introduced me to a great resource www.myethnicworld.com and i thought that i pass great along as well.

It may be a cliche, but there is something very very unique about Aloo Gobhi cooked by a Punjabi - other versions cooked by non Punjabi people just don't seem to cut it. I used to always think that maybe there is a secret recipe which is only passed on from mother to daughter :)

What a lovely post Meeta and how wise your grandfather was (lol). However the same notions fit with grandparents in Greece and Cyprus, as the girls should get married, have children and be good housewives and of course know how to cook.

Thanks everyone! Yes this one has no onions instead the combination of ginger and garlic are perfect to make in aromatic and delicious. My mother never put onions in her Aloo Gobi.Glad you are all liking this!

Stefanie - Yes - substitute the coriander leaves with flat leaved parsley - it won't be the exact flavor but it does a good job of substituting the coriander leaves. Or you could be daring and try some thai basil!

Meeta, aloo gobi is one of our favorite dishes, and I make it at least every two weeks or so. I tried roasting the cauliflower and aloo in the oven last time...didn't quite turn out right but I'm working on perfecting it because the cauliflower holds up so nicely when roasted. Lovely story you shared :)

Meeta, what a hilarious anecdote!! I love it, and would've loved to meet your grandfather and grandmother! I love indian food; I used to live in Sinagpore for most of my life, and up o today when I go back to visit I always have the roti prata with curry chicken. Punjabi food is probably different from that, since I understand that Indian regional cuisine varies in taste and characteristic, but I still get very inspired by the Indians' deft and expert use of spices. I have to try this sometime!!

You must share Punjabi recipes regularly, please! There must be several variations to this humble, everyday affair. This particular one with ginger and garlic seasoned first in oil is a show-stopper. We loved it with rice. I would like to know if some cauliflowers are slightly bitter by nature. Mine were!! How does one treat a bitter cauliflower?

HI Meeta, you have an amazing site! I don't know where you find the time to do all that you do, what's your secret? I made this dish and it was just as good as anything I've ordered. Thanks for the awesome recipes you post.

Awesome. This will be a staple in our "cook once a week Indian" family cook plan! I found a good recipe for Garam Masala substitute, since we live where you can't buy it. Hope it's authentic:

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

12 cardamom pods

8 whole cloves

1 2-inch cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Place cumin, coriander, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a skillet over medium-high heat.2. Cook until spices start to smoke and become aromatic. Constantly shake skillet for about 5 minutes then stir in nutmeg.3. Remove from heat and let cool completely.4. Place toasted spices in a spice or cleaned out coffee grinder and grind until finely ground.5. Store in an airtight container.

I made this, Meeta! We had it with hot chapatis. And it was fabulous! I followed ur recipe to the T except for adding a green chilli. I never knew that the combination of veggies such as this can result in such a comforting and yummy meal! Thank you.

My college's dining hall is where I first fell in love with Aloo Gobi. Hoping to find an equally yummy substitute over Christmas break, I did a web search and stumbled onto your blog, and the rest is history. I'm happy to say that your recipe beat my college's, hands down! :)

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...